16 Director's Cuts You Should Definitely Watch
Hollywood has a bad habit of removing content from their films that make them so much better.
While some movies have worked well even when they were cut down, there are plenty of director's cuts out there that arguably would've prevented their films from bombing in theaters. To honor the films that could've and should've been, here are 16 director's cuts that make their films better.
WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD!
16.Alien (Director's Cut)
Director Ridley Scott took out many moments from his theatrical cut of Alien, but he managed to reinsert them into the film for his director's cut by deleting some others. This alternate version is only a minute longer than the original film, but it does feature some noteworthy additions to the story, the most obvious one being the scene in which Ripley discovers Dallas and her other crew members have been turned into alien cocoons.
15.I Am Legend (Director's Cut)
With Will Smith now teaming with Michael B. Jordan for a sequel to this post-apocalyptic blockbuster, it's time we look back at the first film, but not the theatrical version. While we initially saw Smith's character sacrifice himself to save humanity, in the original version, our hero learns that he is considered a monster by the vampiric Darkseekers for experimenting on them in his efforts to find a cure that can save the world. Since Smith is returning for a follow-up film, it looks like this cut ending may now be considered canon.
14.X-Men: Days of Future Past (The Rogue Cut)
This alternate cut has the future X-Men venturing out to rescue Rogue from her prison inside the X-Mansion so she can help keep Wolverine's mind in the past. It also features Mystique going to the X-Mansion and encountering Beast. Understandably, this content wasn't shown in theaters to save time, and the film still did pretty well. But given the time Anna Paquin put into starring as Rogue in this superhero blockbuster, her version of the film deserves to be seen.
13.Donnie Darko: Director's Cut
This film is considered the first "flop" to have a director's cut released. This version of Donnie Darko lasts an additional 20 minutes while featuring text from The Philosophy of Time Travel, a book written in the film that explains what the hell is going on. If you were left a little too confused by this head-scratcher of a film, then the director's cut can help you find the answers.
12.Once Upon a Time in America (Uncut Version)
Legendary director Sergio Leone suffered a heavy loss when his final film had over a hundred minutes taken out by the studio for theaters. Many hail the uncut version as Leone's finest work and a much better film than its panned theatrical cut. Not only is it so much longer, but the director's cut also retains the film's original, non-chronological narrative, as well as the ending involving Max and the garbage truck.
11.Heaven's Gate (2012 Director's Cut)
The troubled production and critical failure of this Western epic ultimately marked the end of the New Hollywood movement as studios began to exert greater control over their films than their directors. Though the theatrical cut had a negative ripple effect on the film industry, later recuts were much more highly praised, with the 216-minute "digitally restored Director's Cut" receiving critical acclaim at the 69th Venice Film Festival.
10.Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (Ultimate Edition)
If you were disappointed by Batman v Superman, the "Ultimate Edition" at least clears up the confusing narrative. This extended cut fills several plot holes involving Lex Luthor's plan to defame and destroy Superman, including how he framed the Man of Steel for the murders in Nairomi. It also shows Luthor communicating with Steppenwolf at the end of the film, effectively setting up the war with Apokolips in Justice League.
9.Close Encounters of the Third Kind: The Collector's Edition
This definitive cut includes extra scenes not seen in the original, but it doesn't include the panned scene from the "Special Edition" that explores the inside of the alien mothership. If you haven't experienced the wonder of Steven Spielberg's sci-fi masterpiece, this version is the best way to witness it for the first time.
8.Doctor Sleep (Director's Cut)
Clocking in at almost three hours, this version of Mike Flanagan's sequel to The Shining is divided into multiple chapters, much like one of Stephen King's novels. It has scenes showing Abra learning to use her psychic powers, Dan exploring his trauma in AA, and extended conversations between him and Hallorann. There's even a scene with Dan and his father, Jack, talking in the bathroom of the Overlook Hotel like in the first film.
7.Watchmen: Director's Cut
Zack Snyder's films tend to be at their best when they aren't trimmed down for theaters, and the grand and layered story of Watchmen needed all the time it could get. This longer cut spends more time exploring the characters' backgrounds and motivations. It even includes Hollis Mason's violent death at the hands of street thugs, as well as Nite Owl II's attempt at avenging him. But if you want to see something more, there is an "Ultimate Cut" that includes an animated adaptation of the in-universe comic Tales of the Black Freighter.
6.Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut
Much like Zack Snyder's Justice League, Superman II had been severely retooled after director Richard Donner was replaced, featuring a campier tone and a widely criticized ending. Over two decades after the sequel premiere, the "Donner Cut" was finally released in 2006, giving us Marlon Brando's restored scenes as Jor-El and an ending in which Superman turns back time to undo everything instead of weirdly wiping Lois's memory with a kiss.
5.The Exorcist: The Version You've Never Seen
If you thought that William Friedkin's cinematic nightmare couldn't get any scarier, you are dead wrong. This cut of The Exorcist depicts more scenes that feature the demon Pazazu and explore his motives. It also contains an extended ending with Father Dyer and Lt. Kinderman becoming friends. But most infamously, it features the scene in which Regan spider-walks down the stairs after Chris learns of Burke's death, and it is scary stuff, my friends.
4.Apocalypse Now: Final Cut
The "Redux" version of Apocalypse Now is widely considered inferior to the original film. However, the most recent "Final Cut" fixes Redux's problems by doing away with some extra content while still retaining Willard's encounter with the French plantation. While this war epic was already a masterpiece without any additional scenes, you should definitely check the Final Cut out if you want to see more of director Francis Ford Coppola's masterwork.
3.Blade Runner: The Final Cut
There are said to be seven different cuts of this sci-fi classic, but the "Final Cut" is widely considered to be the best. Along with better sound and visuals, this version restores the violence cut from Ridley Scott's original film. It also continues to explore the idea that Deckard is a replicant that was set up in the "Director's Cut," expanding Deckard's unicorn dream and leaving the film off on an ambiguous note without any god-awful narrating from Harrison Ford.
2.The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (Extended Editions)
If you thought the Lord of the Rings films were long, the extended cuts make the originals seem as short as a Hobbit. There are a variety of new scenes with more action and greater exploration of the characters, their backstories, and their relationships with each other. However, The Return of the King is arguably the most different in its director's cut, as we see the evil wizard, Saruman, biting the dust, Aragorn facing Sauron through the Palantir, and the heroes meeting with the terrifying Mouth of Sauron at the Black Gate of Mordor.
1.Zack Snyder's Justice League
It's not often that a director's cut ends up being an entirely different film, and this fabled version of Justice League showed how much moviegoers missed out on in 2017. This four-hour epic took the world by storm when it was finally released just a year ago, with many hailing it as a vastly superior cut to Joss Whedon's version of the film. With more character development, a balanced tone, more polished CGI, and a grand appearance from Darkseid himself, this film is everything the fans asked for and so much more.